Backlight Structure Including Clipping Connectors

ABSTRACT

A backlight structure comprises a frame, a circuit board, and a connector. The frame has an opening. The circuit board is located below the frame and has a through hole, wherein the through hole aligns with the opening. The connector passes through the opening and the through hole, protrudes from a surface of the frame, and is electrically connected to the circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of pending U.S. application Ser. No.11/971,237 filed Jan. 9, 2008, which claims priority to Taiwan PatentApplication No. 096134012 filed on Sep. 12, 2007, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference. Also, the subject matter ofthis application is generally related to the subject matter of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/145,028, filed Jun. 24, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a backlight structure, and more particularly,to a backlight structure having an assembly of a connector and anelectrically conductive element, or an assembly of a first electricallyconductive element and a second electrically conductive element.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic view of a conventional backlightstructure, FIG. 2, an A-A sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3, anexploded view of a tubular lamp and a fixture of the conventionalbacklight structure, the conventional backlight structure 20 comprises aframe 201, a circuit board 202, a fixture 203, a supporting seat 204 anda male connector 205, described in detail in the following.

The frame 201 has a through hole 210. The circuit board 202 is disposedbelow the frame 201 and has a female connector 206. The fixture 203 hasa passageway 211 for a power wire, a cavity 212 and at least a notch213, wherein the passageway 211 for a power wire connects with thecavity 212 and the notch 213 is disposed on an edge of the fixture 203.The male connector 205 has a power wire 208 and is connected to thefemale connector 206 of the circuit board 202. A tubular lamp 207 isdisposed in the cavity 202 of the fixture 203.

An assembly process of the conventional backlight structure is describedin detail in the following.

The fixture 203 is squeezed into the through hole 210 of the frame 201and fixed to the frame 201 via the notch 213. The power wire 208 of themale connector 205 of the circuit board 202 is passed through thepassageway 211 of the fixture 203 and protrudes from the cavity 212. Thepower wire 208 is welded to the tubular lamp 207 to electrically connectto the tubular lamp 207. Then, the tubular lamp 207 is put in the cavity212.

Then the male connector 205 is electrically connected to the femaleconnector 206 to thereby finish the electrical connection between thetubular lamp 207 and the circuit board 202.

Then, the circuit board 202 is fixed to the frame 201 by a screw 209which is passed through the supporting seat 204 disposed between thecircuit board 202 and the frame 201 to finish the assembly process ofthe conventional backlight structure.

For the conventional backlight structure, however, assembly anddisassembly of the circuit board, frame, and the tubular lamp arecomplicated and requires manual welding. Thus, problems associated withcosts, labor and assembly are prevalent and efficiency of the assemblyand manufacturing process is hampered.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a backlight structure, which is convenientlyassembled and disassembled, to simplify the assembly process, reducecosts and effectively raise manufacturing efficiency.

The invention provides a backlight structure comprising a frame, acircuit board and a connector. The frame has an opening. The circuitboard has a through hole aligning with the opening. The connector passesthrough the opening and the through hole, and protrudes from a surfaceof the frame.

The invention provides another backlight structure comprising aninsulator, a frame, a circuit board, a first electrically conductiveelement and a second electrically conductive element. The insulatorelement has a first opening. The frame has a second opening. The circuitboard has a through hole aligning with the first opening and the secondopening. The first electrically conductive element passes through thefirst opening and the second opening, and protrudes from a surface ofthe insulator. The second electrically conductive element passes throughthe first opening, the second opening and the through hole, andelectrically connects to the first electrically conductive element.

In the backlight structure of the invention, the connector or theassembly, combining the first electrically conductive element and thesecond electrically conductive element, is used to simplify thecomplicated assembly process of conventional methods by replacing thewelding technique of conventional methods with the electricalconnections of the invention. Thus, the problems associated withdisassembly, assembly, welding, labor and costs are improved, and theefficiency of the assembly and manufacturing process is raised.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequentdetailed description and examples with references made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional backlight structure.

FIG. 2 is an A-A sectional view of the conventional backlight structure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a tubular lamp and a fixture of theconventional backlight structure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a B-B sectional view of the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a connector of the first embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a bottom of the backlight structure of thefirst embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a first electrically conductive elementand a second electrically conductive element of the second embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a bottom of the backlight structure ofthe second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is an assembly drawing of the backlight structure of the secondembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a first electrically conductive elementand a second electrically conductive element of a third embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 15 is an assembly drawing of the backlight structure of the thirdembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a first electrically conductive elementand a second electrically conductive element of a fourth embodiment ofthe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 4, a schematic view of a first embodiment of theinvention, FIG. 5, a B-B sectional view of the first embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 6, an exploded view of the first embodiment of theinvention, the backlight structure 30 of the first embodiment comprisesa frame 301, a circuit board 302, and a connector 303. The frame 301 hasan opening 307. The circuit board 302 is located below the frame 301 andhas a through hole 306 which aligns with the opening 307. The connector303 passes through the through hole 306 and the opening 307, andprotrudes from a surface of the frame 301. In the first embodiment ofthe invention, the connector 303 may be plastic. The connector 303 hasan electrically conductive element 304 and at least one leg 314, and theelectrically conductive element 304 is located in the connector 303,protrudes from a bottom of the connector 303 and is electricallyconnected to the circuit board 302. The leg 314 extends from the bottomof the connector 303 and contacts a bottom 302 a of the circuit board302.

Referring to FIG. 7, an exploded view of a connector of the firstembodiment of the invention, and FIG. 8, a schematic view of a bottom ofthe backlight structure of the first embodiment of the invention, theconnector 303 has a cavity 311, a positioning wall 312 and at least agap 313. The cavity 311 is located at a top of the connector 303, thepositioning wall 312 and the gap 313 are disposed adjacent to the cavity311, and the positioning wall 312 is disposed between the gap 313 andthe cavity 311. The electrically conductive element 304 of the connector303 has a clipping part 308 located at a top of the electricallyconductive element 304, a through part 309 and a backstay 310 located atan end of the electrically conductive element 304. When finishing theassembly, the clipping part 308 contacts the positioning wall 312, thebackstay 310 protrudes from the bottom 303 a of the connector 303, andthe backstay 310 is bent to contact the bottom 302 a of the circuitboard 302. Thus, the bent backstay 310 is inclined to the leg 314 at aright angle. The through part 309 connects the clipping part 308 and thebackstay 310, and is located in the gap 313 when finishing the assembly.In the first embodiment of the invention, the clipping part 308 is wavyto increase clipping capability. For design of the clipping part 308,however, the shape may vary dependent upon requirements (e.g. arched).

The assembly process of the backlight structure 30 of the invention isdescribed in detail in the following. The backstay 310 and the throughpart 309 of the electrically conductive element 304 are passed throughthe gap 313 of the connector 303. The through part 309 is located in thegap 313, the backstay 310 passes through the gap 313 and protrudes fromthe bottom 303 a of the connector 303, and the clipping part 308 of theelectrically conductive element 304 clips and contacts the positioningwall 312 to fix the electrically conductive element 304 on the connector303.

The assembly of the connector 30 and the electrically conductive element304 is then passed through the opening 307 of the frame 301 and thethrough hole 306 of the circuit board 302 in sequence, and the leg 314extending from the bottom 303 a of the connector 303 contacts thecircuit board 302. Then, the backstay 310 of the electrically conductiveelement 304 is bent to contact the bottom 302 a of the circuit board302, and is tightly attached to the bottom 302 a of the circuit board302 by SMT (Surface Mount Technology). Thus, the electrically conductiveelement 304 is fixed and electrically connected to the circuit board302.

Then, the tubular lamp 305 is put in the cavity 311 of the connector 303and clipped by the clipping part 308 of the electrically conductiveelement 304 to electrically connect to the circuit board 302, therebyfinishing the assembly process of the backlight structure of theinvention.

For the above description, the assembly, combining the connector and theelectrically conductive element, is used to simplify the complicatedassembly process of the conventional methods by replacing the weldingtechnique of conventional methods with the electrical connections of theinvention. Thus, the problems associated with disassembly, assembly,welding, labor and costs are improved, and the efficiency of theassembly and manufacturing process is raised.

Referring to FIG. 9, a schematic view of a second embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 10, an exploded view of an E-E sectional view of thesecond embodiment of the invention, the backlight structure 40 of thesecond embodiment comprises an insulator element 401, a frame 402, afirst circuit board 403, a second circuit board 409, a firstelectrically conductive element 404 and a second electrically conductiveelement 405, described in detail in the following. The insulator element401 has a first opening 406. The frame 402 is located below theinsulator 401 and has a second opening 407. The first circuit board 403is located below the frame 402 and has a first through hole 408. Thesecond circuit board 409 is disposed above the insulator 401 and has asecond through hole 410. The first through hole 408 aligns with thefirst opening 406 and the second opening 407. The first electricallyconductive element 404 passes upward through the second through hole410, the first opening 406 and the second opening 407, protrudes fromsurfaces of the insulator 401 and the second circuit board 409, andclips the tubular lamp 411 to electrically connect to the tubular lamp411. The second electrically conductive element 405 passes downwardthrough the first through hole 408 of the first circuit board 403, thesecond opening 407 of the frame 402 and the first opening 406 of theinsulator 401, and is electrically connected to the first electricallyconductive element 404. The backstay 420, extending from a bottom 421(as shown in FIG. 11) of the second electrically conductive element 405,contacts a bottom 403 a of the first circuit board 403.

Referring to FIG. 11, an exploded view of a first electricallyconductive element and a second electrically conductive element of thesecond embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 12, a schematic view of abottom of the backlight structure of the second embodiment of theinvention, the first electrically conductive element 404 has a firstclipping part 412, a supporting part 413 and a first clipped part 414.The first clipping part 412 is located above the supporting part 413.The first clipped part 414 is located adjacent to the supporting part413. The second electrically conductive element 405 has a second clippedclipping part 418 extending upward from the bottom 421. When the firstelectrically conductive element 404 and the second electricallyconductive element 405 are combined, the second clipping part 418 clipsthe first clipped part 414. In the second embodiment, the secondelectrically conductive element 405 clips the first electricallyconductive element 404, and the first clipped part 414 protrudes fromoutsides of the supporting part 413 to increase the combined capacity ofthe first electrically conductive element 404 and the secondelectrically conductive element 405. However, the first electricallyconductive element 404 can be modified to clip the second electricallyconductive element 405, wherein the first clipped part 414 protrudesinward from the supporting part 413. The tubular lamp 411 (as shown inFIG. 13) is put in the first clipping part. When the second electricallyconductive element 405 passes upward through the first through hole 408of the first circuit board 403, the backstay 420, extending form abottom 421, contacts the bottom 403 a of the first circuit board 403.

The assembly process of the backlight structure 40 of the invention isdescribed in detail in the following. The second electrically conductiveelement 405 is passed upward through the first through hole 408 of thefirst circuit board 403, and the backstay 420 contacts the bottom 403 aof the first circuit board 403, and then the backstay 420 is bounded tothe bottom 403 a of the first circuit board 403 by surface mounttechnology (SMT). Thus, the second electrically conductive element 405is fixed and electrically connected to the first circuit board 403.

The first clipped part 414 of the first electrically conductive element404 is then passed downward through the second through hole 410 of thesecond circuit board 409, and the first electrically conductive element404 is bounded to a surface 409 a of the second circuit board 409 bysurface mount technology (SMT), wherein the first clipped clipping part412 and the supporting part 413 of the first electrically conductiveelement 404 are exposed above the second circuit board 409. The firstclipped part 414 of the first electrically conductive element 404 passesthrough the first opening 406 of the insulator 401 and the secondopening 407 of the frame 402 in sequence.

The second clipping part 418 of the second electrically conductiveelement 405 then clips the first clipped part 414 of the firstelectrically conductive element 404. Thus, the first electricallyconductive element 404 is fixed in the second electrically conductiveelement 405 and electrically connected thereto.

The tubular lamp 411 is then put in the first electrically conductiveelement 404 and clipped by the first clipping part 412. Thus, tubularlamp 411 is electrically connected to the first circuit board 403through the first electrically conductive element 404 to finish theassembly process of the backlight structure of the invention (as shownin FIG. 13).

Practically, the second circuit board 409 may be provided with circuitsthereon. Alternatively, the second circuit board 409 is without circuitsthereon, made of plastic or polymeric methyl methacrylate (PMMA), andonly used for connecting to the first electrically conductive element404. Furthermore, the second circuit board 409 can be omitted, and thefirst electrically conductive element 404 can be directly formed on theinsulator 401 by injection-molding to further simplify the assemblyprocess and reduce costs.

Referring to FIG. 14, an exploded view of a first electricallyconductive element 504 and a second electrically conductive element 505of a third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 15, an assembly drawingof the backlight structure of the third embodiment of the invention, thefirst electrically conductive element 504 has a first clipping part 512,a supporting part 513 and a first clipped part 514. The first clippingpart 512 is located above the supporting part 513. The first clippedpart 514 is located adjacent to the supporting part 513. The secondelectrically conductive element 505 has a second clipped part 518extending upward from a bottom 521. In the third embodiment of theinvention, the supporting part 513 has a fixing part 522. When the firstclipping part 512 and the supporting part 513 of the first electricallyconductive element 504 are exposed above the second circuit board 509,the fixing part 522 holds an edge 509 b of the second circuit board 509to increase the positioning effect of the first electrically conductiveelement 504. Other elements of the third embodiment are similar to thoseof the second embodiment, and the descriptions thereof are thus omitted.

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a first electrically conductive element604 and a second electrically conductive element 605 of a fourthembodiment of the invention. The first electrically conductive element604 has a first clipping part 612, a supporting part 613 and a thirdclipping part 615. In the fourth embodiment of the invention, the thirdclipping part 615 is located in the supporting part 613. The secondelectrically conductive element 605 has a second clipped part 616 and abackstay 617. The third clipping part 615 of the first electricallyconductive element 604 clips the second clipped part 616 of the secondelectrically conductive element 605 to form an electrical connectiontherebetween when the first electrically conductive element 604 and thesecond electrically conductive element 605 are combined. Furthermore,the third clipping part 615 of the first electrically conductive element604 is wavy, and the second clipped part 616 is cylindrical to increasethe clipping capability of the first electrically conductive element604. However, the third clipping part 615 of the first electricallyconductive element 604 may be arched, and the second clipped part 616may be bar-shaped. It is understood that the third clipping part 615 andthe second clipped part 616 may be in any shape for achieving engagementand electrical connection therebetween. After finishing the assemblyprocess, the backstay 617 is located below the second clipped part 616and contacts a bottom of the first circuit board 603 (referring to otherembodiments). Other elements of the fourth embodiment are similar tothose of the second embodiment and third embodiment, and thedescriptions thereof are thus omitted.

For the above description, the assembly, combining the connector and theelectrically conductive element, is used to simplify the complicatedassembly process of the conventional methods by replacing the weldingtechnique of conventional methods with the electrical connections of theinvention. Thus, the problems associated with disassembly, assembly,welding, labor and costs are improved, and the efficiency of theassembly and manufacturing process is raised.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms ofpreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended tocover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would beapparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of theappended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

1. A backlight structure comprising: a frame having a opening; a circuitboard located below the frame and having at least a through hole,wherein the through hole aligns with the opening; and at least aconnector passing through the opening and the through hole, protrudingfrom a surface of the frame, and electrically connected to the circuitboard.
 2. The backlight structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein theconnector has an electrically conductive element located in theconnector, protruding from a bottom of the connector and electricallyconnected to the circuit board, and at least a leg extending from thebottom of the connector and contacting the circuit board.
 3. Thebacklight structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector furthercomprises a cavity receiving a tubular lamp, at least a gap disposedadjacent to the cavity, and a positioning wall disposed between the gapand the cavity.
 4. The backlight structure as claimed in claim 3,wherein the electrically conductive element has a clipping part locatedat a top of the electrically conductive element, contacting thepositioning wall and clipping the tubular lamp, a backstay located at anend of the electrically conductive element and contacting the circuitboard, and a through part located in the gap and connecting the clippingpart and the backstay.
 5. The backlight structure as claimed in claim 4,wherein the clipping part is substantially wavy or arched.
 6. Thebacklight structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the backstay isinclined to the leg at a right angle.
 7. The backlight structure asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is plastic.